Heretofore die sets have included guide sleeves and guide posts and with a ball bearing assembly interposed and wherein the ball bearing assembly is slidably and non-rotatably mounted upon the guide post for longitudinal movements thereon and is interposed between the guide post and sleeve.
While the purpose of interposing the ball bearing cage assembly was to minimize friction between the guide sleeve and guide post, the construction and mounting of the bearing assembly was such that the bearing assembly was constrained to reciprocal rectilinear movements with respect to the guide post and guide sleeve and non-rotatably mounted upon the guide post as by a pair of opposed set screws on the cage riding within opposed longitudinal slots in the guide post.
Since the ball bearing assembly was non-rotatable there was a certain amount of tracking between the bearing assembly and the post and sleeve which was productive of wear and friction during continuous guided reciprocal movements of the guide post with respect to the sleeve.
Heretofore there was a need to maintain reduced friction between the ball bearing assembly the guide post and guide sleeve, and at the same time prevent tracking of the balls with respect to the guide sleeve and guide post.